Catch Me A Cowboy (33 page)

Dusty footprints from Xanthi's children ran across the length of the white tiles. Emily smiled to see it. The floor looked better with them, her apartment more of a home with some life injected into it.

She dragged her luggage across the room and left them on the floor outside the kitchen, then went back to the lounge and collapsed on the couch. She shifted her body, trying to find a comfortable position, but couldn't. She huffed as she looked down at the hard, unforgiving white leather and wondered why she ever believed this impractical couch was a good decision.

She thought of Wil's then, soft and welcoming. Emotion followed, a scorching pain in her chest. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tossed aside those memories of him. No use moping around about someone or something that could never be. Best just get on with things.

She grabbed her mobile from her handbag and opened her messages. Nothing from Wil. No messages from anyone. The lump in her throat grew bigger at that stark realisation. Tears stung her eyes. Had her life always been this empty, or had she just not noticed it before? Fifi jumped up onto the couch beside her and curled up on her lap. She stroked her head as more tears fell down her cheeks. She sniffled and palmed them away, then blinked quickly to stop the flow of any more.

Emily typed out a message to Xanthi.

EMILY: I'm home. Thanks for looking after Fifi for me.

A message came back.

XANTHI: k

Nothing more than ‘k'. Emily's guts churned. She had hoped Xanthi had simply been threatening her over the phone last night, but judging by that message, she was serious.

Emily opened the message and hit ‘call'. The phone rang three times then switched to message bank. She hung up and dialled again. Straight to message bank. She waited for the beep this time. What could she say, though? What would make this different, better?

The phone beeped. She inhaled deeply and said, ‘I'm sorry … so sorry …' Then hung up. What other words were there? She could barely think as it was.

Emily scrolled through her contacts for her office number. She hovered her thumb over the dial button as she cleared her throat and palmed away tears with her other hand. She shook her head and pressed dial.

Emily was connected through to her office manager, who had been taking care of things while she was away.

‘Emily, you're home, are you?'

‘Yes,' Emily said, trying to keep her voice steady.

‘Fantastic. So did you win?'

‘It's confidential.'

‘Damn it. I thought I'd get some insider information. So, let me guess, you'll be back in the office tomorrow?'

‘Actually, I'm going to take the rest of the week off. I'll see you on Monday morning.'

Silence. ‘Is everything okay?'

Emily cleared her throat and smiled, but it was just teeth. ‘Fine. Of course. Fine. Why do you ask?'

‘I've been working with you for the last four years and you've not taken any time off. I wondered if you were human,' she finished with a nervous chuckle.

‘I assure you, I'm human. I'll see you Monday.'

Emily hung up. She couldn't face clients or employees just yet. As much as she was trying to push down her emotions, it wasn't working. The wall she had worked so hard to build throughout her adult life wasn't as strong as it once was. Wil Parker wasn't easy to forget. Her body was weighted down, her muscles weary.

She gently pushed Fifi off her lap, heaved herself from the couch and went to the bathroom for a bath. She turned her favourite playlist on and a soft melody echoed through the room, strumming too fiercely on her feelings until it hurt and her head was consumed with thoughts of Wil. She jabbed at the stop button—not ready for music yet.

Emily undressed and sat on the edge of the bath, staring at the stream of water and steam that billowed from it. Had she made a mistake leaving? She shook her head hard. No. No, she hadn't. In the long run, this was the easier option.

When the water was high enough, Emily slipped into its depths and rested her head back against the tub. Despite the heat of the water, a chill had spread across her body and leached into her bones. A coldness that felt so much like loneliness.

She climbed out after a moment, unable to find comfort or warmth. Her back was achy. Her throat burnt. Nowhere could she find reprieve from the turmoil inside. Everything was a reminder of Wil and the pain she now felt without him.

From her bedroom closet, she pulled out her winter clothes and dressed into them. She closed the blinds, blackening the room. She grabbed Fifi and placed her on the end of the bed then laid down. She closed her eyes and cried until she was empty.

Chapter 41

Wil sat at the local pub with Alec. Only the hard-core drinkers were there at this time of day, lined up at the bar. He didn't care that it was midday and he was already blind rotten drunk. He was supposed to be on a date with one of the other girls. He couldn't think who; their faces all blended with the other. The only face he could conjure in his mind was Emily's. And then he'd drink a little more to try and hide her under a blanket of numb comfortability.

Impossible.

‘I'm glad you're here, mate,' he said to Alec, tongue thick and words slow.

Alec nodded. ‘Me too.'

‘I can't quite believe it, you know? What the hell happened there? One minute I was planning our children … our fucking children. I was having kids with her. And she was smiling and happy. Then—' he lifted his hands in the air, ‘—poof, she's gone. Is she a magician, because I've never seen someone disappear that quickly?'

Alec smiled sympathetically and slapped Wil's back. ‘Women, mate, they're unpredictable.'

Wil lifted his glass to his lips and gulped at his beer, not tasting the amber liquid as it slid over his tongue. He lowered it to the bar and stared at the lacquered timber bar top, following the grooves and lines with his eyes, yet not seeing them. All he could see was Emily. He could still feel the soft give of her flesh, the fierceness of her lips on his. He could see her honey eyes staring up at him, full of love. That wasn't all in his imagination, surely. All those memories couldn't be a lie.

But maybe they were. Maybe she was exactly like he had presumed any woman who would sign up for a show like
Catch Me a Cowboy
would be. She played the game, got her air time, then left.

He couldn't believe it was over. Zip. Bang. Done and dusted. Her hands wiped clean of him. A heaviness settled over him like a suffocating blanket. How did he get here again? So quickly. For three years he'd prevented anyone getting close to his heart, then the moment he let his guard down, opened his arms wide, it was broken again.

He lifted his gaze and looked at his brother. ‘I'm so
lost
. I don't know the way anymore. I don't …' His voice cracked, so he stopped and swallowed hard. His throat hurt. His heart ached. ‘I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I give my heart over and no one wants it.' He lowered his face into his hands and breathed deeply.

‘I'm sorry, mate,' came his brother's voice. But it sounded distant, indistinct, through the muddle of Wil's wallowing and inebriation.

Wil sat up taller and sighed. ‘So am I.' He shook his head and groaned. ‘I thought I'd found The One. Emily's the only one. And she throws everything back in my face.' He slammed his fist on the bar. The pain came a second later. ‘I don't understand.'

The barman came over. ‘Wil, mate, I think you've had enough. Best if you and Alec head on home, eh?'

Alec stood and put his arms on Wil's shoulders. Wil shook him off. ‘All right. All right. I don't need help!' He stood, too quickly, and wobbled. Alec caught him. He let him because it was either that or his head was going to hit the floor. The bar was spinning around him.

‘Thanks, mate,' said Alec to the barman, then wrapped his arm around Wil and helped him from the pub.

Everything faded until he was being manhandled into the back of Dad's car, Alec jumping in beside him.

‘He's not going to spew, is he?' came his dad's voice.

Wil shook his head, tried to keep his eyes open. ‘I'm not going to shhhpew.'

Alec chuckled.

‘Just had a few drinks,' he slurred.

‘Yep, can bloody well see that,' said Dad.

Wil sighed deeply and leant his head back against the headrest. ‘I love her. I fucking love her. I love Emily Wolfe and she doesn't love me.'

‘Yeah, we know, mate,' said Alec. ‘We know.'

Blackness.

 

GOSSIPER—ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT TALK

Bombed cowboy booted from bar after drunken outburst

Eyewitness reports were rampant on Friday after resident cowboy, Wil Parker, was escorted from a public bar in his hometown of Wattle Valley, barely able to stand.

Witnesses state he was inebriated, and eventually thrown out of the pub when he became violent and incoherent. He staggered, with the help of his brother, Sydney stockbroker elite, to the gutter where he sat until a car carted them away.

Rumours hint that all is not well for the reality dating show sweetheart, with reports that filming will cease for the next week. No one was able to provide any details about what was troubling Parker so deeply.

A spokesperson for the show commented, ‘We support our cowboy's decision to take the time to heal wounds that have opened up during the filming of this season of
Catch Me a Cowboy
. We respect that all our contestants are human beings with feelings, and the emotions experienced on the show are very much real.'

 

GET REAL—THE HOME OF REALITY TV

Wolfe sinks fangs into cowboy

Emily Wolfe, Melbourne real estate agent, already has her claws out. The eight remaining contestants, including Wolfe, went on their first round of ‘individual dates' this week with
Catch Me a Cowboy
hunk, Wil Parker.

The controversial kiss between Wolfe and Parker was the first to occur this season. And it is anticipated, it will not be the last. After an intimate massage hidden behind a white tent on the picturesque Parker farm, Wolfe caught the cowboy off guard as they drank champagne together on a jetty.

Wolfe, without warning, crawled to Parker on hands and knees, then proceeded to engage in a kiss that has been described by some as ‘ferocious'. While others have labelled it the kiss that ‘broke the internet'.

Opinion is divided if this tactic has won Wolfe fans. Twitter was energetic with conversation after the ‘kiss' aired last night.

@RealityTVJunkie

#CatchMeACowboy
OMG! Emily is a vixen. Watch out, Wil—her claws are long and she's not afraid to use them. #WolfeFindsPrey

@MumWith2Littlies

Um … was not expecting that. Holy hot kiss, batman! You go, girl!!!
#CatchMeACowboy

@Deleriouslynuts

Oh no, she didn't. Emily needs to give Cowboy breathing room. Ever heard of not giving it all away on the first date?
#CatchMeACowboy

@RuralGangster

#jealous
Emily for the win. Now that's how you play at the reality dating game.
#CatchMeACowboy #IWantMeSomeSexyCowboyToo

Time will tell if that risky move keeps Wolfe in the game. And how will the other contestants view this fierce contender? The next elimination airs tonight on the Dream Network at 7.30 pm.

 

ENTERTAINMENT PLANET

Cocky cowboy caught with contestant after hours

Catch Me a Cowboy heartthrob is not the gentleman once suspected after he was caught with his pants down by his pregnant ex-wife.

Wil Parker's ex-wife, Billi Walsh, said, last fortnight, she came to the Parker farm around 7 pm to talk to Parker. ‘I found him in the kitchen having sex with one of the contestants.'

It appears the gentleman act all the contestants are talking about may simply be that—an act.

‘He didn't even seem embarrassed or regretful. He didn't try to hide what they were doing,' continued Billi when asked about the couple's reaction. ‘Wil never behaved like this in the past. It was all very out of character.'

When asked to confirm if the contestant in question was indeed the controversial Emily Wolfe, Billi stated, ‘Without a doubt. She has claws ten inches long that one.'

With a baby due in two short months' time, Billi described the encounter as “upsetting”. She had this to say when questioned about the alleged drunken incident at the local public bar last week, ‘It wouldn't surprise me if Emily Wolfe had something to do with that. She came across as disingenuous and a real heartbreaker. I think she has led Wil astray.'

Comments:

Sassy Lady
Poor Billi. Pregnant and having to walk in on that. Wil Parker sounds like a pig and Emily … well they deserve each other.

Dave
Emily is a WILF—Wolfe I'd like to f**k.

Drama Fuelled
I am loving this season. Emily and Wil are so obviously in love. Of course they're going to continue their romance off camera. Good on them I reckon. #TeamEmily

Ranch Dressing Up
Wil Parker is the sexiest cowboy on the entire planet. I'd be doing him behind the scenes. Go for it, Emily, you get your dessert.

Travis
Bring back Amber. She said it herself, her tits were grade A.

Reply

Sassy Lady
Travis, it's not all about a woman's tits.

Reply

Travis
Hellz yeah it is

NothingInCommon
How does this even qualify as news? Seriously, there are better things to talk about in the world. Global Warming anyone? Or have you all buried your heads in reality TV land too far to even know what's going on in the real world?

Reply

Marcia
If you got off your preaching box, you'd know that Wil is a massive proponent for doing something about climate change. Next time, get your facts right before you comment.